retiredmartin

June 2024. Botley. Hampshire.

A birthday trip to Portsmouth for my father-in-law, but still time to sneak in a few new Guide ticks on the way, which is how we ended up in Botley, on the premise of “looking for ice creams“.

Oddly, while Botley, just above the Hampshire cricket ground was described as “the most delightful village in the world” by 18th century journalist and radical politician William Cobbett of Wetherspoon fame, its two (2) GBG entries are both plain-ish brewery taps. Cracklerock nearly defeated me during COVID, BUT I WOULD NOT BE DEFEATED.

In contrast, Botley Brewery aka The Hidden Tap, has peril only in the threats about parking at any hours, though quite why you’d park here unless you were shopping at the gun shop or taking octogenarians for a beer I cannot conceive.

The Tap is certainly hidden, tucked behind “Dress To Go”,

with attractive seating alongside the River Hamble (see top).

For a Sunday afternoon it seemed busy enough to me, with seating hard to come by,

but the Guvnor reckoned it was dead. “Standing room only on weekend music nights” I was told.

A half of each and a tonic water for the DES, I always get my tonic water and soda water mixed up, but at least it was me rather than Mrs RM that suffered this time.

In the meantime Mrs RM had somehow acquired an actual table, rather than a beer barrel,

and the in-laws warmed to the place in the sun by the water, with IPA, Red and HPA scoring highly.

And the deal was sealed as Mrs RM went back to the bar and a minute later came out with four ice creams (“one of each”), the Oreo sandwich best received.

Almost as good as the one at the back, clearly the inspiration for Monet’s “Japanese Bridge”.

Unless you know better.